Netbooks - wouldn't it be nice!

With all the online application, in cloud computing, we will no longer need to buy expensive software or expensive hardware. The economic barrier to access for teachers and students could be eliminated. Here's how it works.

According to Tony Vincent- Learning in Hand

Two trends in the world of technology are making a big splash in education: web applications and netbooks. These trends excite me because I'm all about easy, free, and cheap. There are many tasks that used to require software that you can now do from inside of your Web browser.... Web apps are great for students and teachers because they are usually free and do not require software to be installed. Because they run in a web browser, web apps are cross-platform, so it doesn't matter if you are running Windows, Macintosh, or Linux operating systems. Because Web apps and their data are stored online, students and teachers can access the apps and data from anywhere (this is called cloud computing). Teachers and students can access web apps on any school computer and also their computers at home. Some web apps even give access on mobile devices. Another bonus: web apps tend to facilitate online sharing and collaboration.

Wes Fryer is among others that predict that netbooks will cost < $100. soon.
http://www.isteconnects.org/2009/02/13/sub-100-netbooks-are-coming/

We need to embrace digital curriculum in our schools and colleges NOW, and
digital curriculum mandates student access to digital devices. The 1:1 learning
revolution is drawing nearer, and announcements like this one about a $20 laptop
from India is a signal that day is even closer.

I purchased a small netbook and can't wait see them as a viable learning tool in the classroom. Leaving the traditional classroom labs to computer programing and specialized classes.